Suzanne Baer, LCPC

Suzanne Baer is a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) in Illinois with 22 years of experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, and depression. Suzanne offers a straightforward, compassionate style that aims to make a difficult step feel more manageable.

Her background includes inpatient drug and alcohol treatment, sexual abuse counseling, and community mental health. That variety shaped her approach to complex problems like co-occurring conditions, chronic illness and pain, and caregiving stress. She draws on many tools rather than a single method.

Sessions focus on practical, talk-through strategies. Suzanne uses client-centered conversation to understand what matters most to each person. She pairs that with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques to spot patterns of thinking and behavior that keep problems in place.

She also brings elements of Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Mindfulness Therapy when people need skills for emotional regulation and present-moment grounding. Motivational Interviewing is part of her toolbox for people who are ambivalent about change, especially around addictions.

Suzanne aims to encourage, challenge, and empower clients as they work toward clearer goals. She helps people set realistic steps, track progress, and adjust plans when life gets messy. Her practical focus is on making the next step feel doable.

How Suzanne’s Approaches Translate to Online Work

Client-Centered Therapy means the session is shaped around the person’s priorities. The therapist listens, reflects, and follows the client’s lead to identify what matters most and what to change. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and practicing concrete alternatives; it is useful for anxiety, depression, and stress. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers practical skills for managing intense emotions and improving relationships, which can help with emotional swings and behaviors tied to addiction or trauma.

The therapist and client work together to find the best mix of approaches. Suzanne will assess needs, goals, and preferences and adjust methods over time. Finding the right approach is collaborative, and changes are expected as progress unfolds.

The original biography does not list specific online session formats, so please confirm available options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. It can also let people use video, phone, or other supported formats when those options are offered, helping therapy fit into everyday life without promising a particular service.